This invention relates to apparatus for, and a method of, stacking and collecting labels, and in particular to automatic stacking and collecting apparatus for individual paper or paper laminate labels produced on a web printing machine.
A known label stacking apparatus includes a plurality of sets of suction discs. Each set of suction discs receives successive labels from a respective stream of labels fed thereto from a web printing machine by a respective pair of suction belts. The suction discs hold the leading edges of the labels by suction through holes in their peripheral edges. The discs rotate the labels through 90.degree., after which the labels are stripped off by an intercepting horizontal table. The stacks of labels are then removed by hand for a subsequent banding operation.
This known apparatus has a major disadvantage, namely that the stacks must be manually removed for banding, or for putting into a ram punching machine. This disadvantage is exacerbated as the operating speed of the apparatus increases; which, with a modern high-speed web printing machine, can be a serious limitation. Another disadvantage of this known apparatus is that it cannot handle long labels (that is to say labels having a length greater than about 160 millimeters).
The aim of the invention is to provide apparatus for, and a method of, stacking and collecting labels which do not suffer from the disadvantages mentioned above, even when the stacking and collecting is done downstream of a high-speed web printing machine, and the labels concerned are long.